Washington sports fans can take a breather for now. Based on a letter from DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb to Monumental Sports, a potential move by the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals to the state of Virginia isn't permitted until 2047, per DC News Now's Ben Dennis
Schwalb cited a lease agreement in 2007 as the reason for disallowing the transfer. In addition, the letter also details how Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Wizards and Capitals, cannot break the agreement even if bond debt is paid in advance.
The Attorney General also hopes that the entire situation doesn't lead to legal claims in the future.
“I recognize that MSE (Monumental Sports) has not attempted to revoke the lease extension options it exercised for the Arena in 2007, that it may never do so, and that, accordingly, debate about potential legal claims — which this letter is not intended to address exhaustively — may be premature and unnecessary,” Schwalb wrote. “The district hopes it to stay that way. To be clear, the District very much prefers not to pursue any potential claims against MSE.”
BREAKING: DC's attorney general told Monumental Sports on Monday they can't move the Washington Capitals and Wizards from DC until 2047, citing a 2007 bond/lease agreement. @DCAttorneyGen says Monumental can't break agreement even if they paid off bond debt early. @DCNewsNow pic.twitter.com/qX3LBqoC62
— Ben Dennis DC News Now (@broadcastben_) March 22, 2024
The letter also touches on potential future discussions regarding the matter between Schwalb, other high-ranking government officials in the city and Abby Blomstrom, the executive vice president and general counsel of Monumental Sports (the letter's addressee).
The Washington Capitals as of late
As for the teams under MSE, the scenes on the ice have been more watchable than those on the basketball court. The Washington Capitals currently hold a 34-26-9 record and are on the verge of securing a postseason spot with 13 games remaining in the regular season. Fresh off a Friday win against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Capitals are just one point behind the Detroit Red Wings, who hold the final Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference.
Led by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin, Washington experienced a late-season resurgence, as seen in their 12-6-2 showing during their last 20 games. The race between Wild Card contenders may very well go down to the wire come April, looking at how close the standings are.
The Washington Wizards as of late
On the other hand, the same can't be said for the Washington Wizards. The team is 12-58 and there seems to be no sign of a bounce back. Yes, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole have offensive talent, but the other side of the ball desperately needs improvement.
The defensive numbers tell the whole story. The Wizards give up 123.9 opponent points per game and grab just 40.6 rebounds per game — last in the league in both categories. And to add, the mid-season departure of their leading rebounder (Daniel Gafford) to the Dallas Mavericks didn't help at all.
All in all, fans are presently longing for the offseason so that roster tweaks can be done.
Can a possible revival happen in the future? Who knows. The last time the Wizards won a chip was during the days of the late Wes Unseld. Building a contender may take some time, but with what Brian Schwalb just wrote, the Wizards may still have a little over two decades to bring the glory days back.
Follow Us
Subscribe